Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 122 /Thursday, June 25, 1998 / Notices 34639

expense which is a component of their

cost of service which in turn is used to

determine the transportation rate to

assess customers. Staff’s recommended

book depreciation rates become legally

binding when issued in an order by the

Commission. These rates remain in

effect until a subsequent review is

requested and the outcome indicates

that a modification is justified. The

Commission implements these filing

requirements in the Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR Parts

347 and 357.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date.

Burden Statement: Public reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annually

(1)

Number of responses per respondent

(2)

Average burden hours per response

(3)

Total annual burden hours

(1)x(2)x(3)

5 1 40 200

Estimated cost burden to respondents:

200 hours divided by 2,088 hours per

year times $110,000 per year equals

$11,000. The cost per respondent is

equal to $2,200.

The reporting burden includes the

total time, effort, or financial resources

expended to generate, maintain, retain,

disclose, or provide the information

including: (1) reviewing instructions; (2)

developing, acquiring, installing, and

utilizing technology and systems for the

purposes of collecting, validating,

verifying, processing, maintaining,

disclosing and providing information;

(3) adjusting the existing ways to

comply with any previously applicable

instructions and requirements; (4)

training personnel to respond to a

collection of information; (5) searching

data sources; (6) completing and

reviewing the collection of information;

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise

disclosing the information.

The estimate of cost for respondents

is based upon salaries for professional

and clerical support, as well as direct

and indirect overhead costs. Direct costs

include all costs directly attributable to

providing this information, such as

administrative costs and the cost for

information technology. Indirect or

overhead costs are costs incurred by an

organization in support of its mission.

These costs apply to acitivites which

benefit the whole organization rather

than any one particular function or

activity.

Comments are invited on: (1) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Commission,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of

the agency’s estimate of the burden of

the proposed collection of information,

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (3)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

the use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology

e.g. permitting electronic submission of

responses.

David P. Boergers,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–16878 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. IC98–6–000; FERC Form 6]

Proposed Information Collection and

Request for Comments

June 19, 1998.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information

collection and request for comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(2)(a)

of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. No. 104–13), the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (Commission) is

soliciting public comment on the

specific aspects of the information

collection described below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to

comments submitted on or before

August 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed

collection of information can be

obtained from and written comments

may be submitted to the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael

Miller, Office of the Chief Information

Officer, CI–1, 888 First Street N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Miller may be reached by

telephone at (202) 208–1415, by fax at

(202) 273–0873, and by e-mail at

michael.miller@ferc.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

information collected under the

requirements of FERC Form 6 ‘‘Annual

Report of Oil Pipeline Companies’’

(OMB NO. 1902–0022) is used by the

Commission to implement the statutory

Provisions of the Interstate Commerce

Act (ICA), (49 U.S.C.). The ICA

authorizes the Commission to make

investigations and to collect and record

data and to prescribes rules and

regulations concerning accounts,

records and memoranda as necessary or

appropriate for purposes of

administering the ICA. The Commission

may prescribe a system of accounts for

jurisdictional companies and, after

notice and opportunity for hearing may

determine the accounts in which

particular outlays and receipts will be

entered, charged or credited. Every

pipeline carrier subject to the provisions

of Section 20 of the ICA must file with

the Commission copies of FERC Form 6.

The Commission’s Office of Chief

Accountant uses the information

collected in its audit program and the

continuous review on the financial

condition of regulated companies. The

Office of Pipeline Regulation uses the

data in its various rate proceedings and

supply programs, and the Offices of

Economic Policy and General Counsel

use the data in their programs relating

to the administration of the ICA. Data on

certain schedules of the FERC Form 6 is

used to compute annual charges which

are then assessed against oil pipeline

companies to recover the Commission’s

annual costs. These annual charges are

required by Section 3401 of the Budget

Act.

The ICA mandates the collection of

information needed by the Commission

to perform it regulatory responsibilities

in the setting of the just and reasonable

rates. The Commission could be held in

violation of the ICA if the information

was not collected.

The Commission implements these

filing requirements in the Code of

Federal Regulations (CFR) under 18 CFR

Section 260.2 and Parts 351; 352; 356

and 357.2.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date.
34640 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 122 /Thursday, June 25, 1998 / Notices

Burden Statement: Public Reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annually

(1)

Number of responses per respondents

(2)

Average burden hours per response

(3)

Total annual burden hours

(1)×(2)×(3)

159 1 * 111 17,649

* Rounded off

Estimated cost burden to respondents:

17,649 hours divided by 2088 hours per

year times $109,889 per year equals

$928,848. The cost per respondent is

equal to $5,842.

The reporting burden includes the

total time, effort, or financial resources

expended to generate, maintain, retain,

disclose, or provide the information

including: (1) reviewing instructions; (2)

developing, acquiring, installing, and

utilizing technology and systems for the

purposes of collecting, validating

verifying, processing, maintaining,

disclosing and providing information;

(3) adjusting the existing ways to

comply with any previously applicable

instructions and requirements; (4)

training personnel to respond to a

collection of information; (5) searching

data sources; (6) completing and

reviewing the collection of information;

and (7) transmitting, or otherwise

disclosing the information.

The estimate of cost for respondents

is based upon salaries for professional

and clerical support, as well as direct

and indirect overhead costs. Direct costs

include all costs directly attributable to

providing this information, such as

administrative costs and the cost for

information technology. Indirect or

overhead costs are costs incurred by an

organization in support of its mission.

These costs apply to activities which

benefit the whole organization rather

than any one particular function or

activity.

Comments are invited on: (1) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Commission,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of

the Commission’s estimate of the

burden of the proposed collection of

information, including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) ways to enhance the quality, utility

and clarity of the information to be

collected; and (4) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

the use of appropriate automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other

technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology

e.g. permitting electronic submission of

responses.

David P. Boergers,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 98–16879 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[IC98–574–000 FERC–574]

Proposed Information Collection and

Request for Comments

June 19, 1998.

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed information

collection and request for comments.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

requirements of Section 3506(c)(2)(a) of

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

(Pub. L. No. 104–13), the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission (Commission) is

soliciting public comment on the

specific aspects of the information

collection described below.

DATES: Consideration will be given to

comments submitted on or before

August 24, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed

collection of information can be

obtained from and written comments

may be submitted to the Federal Energy

Regulatory Commission, Attn: Michael

Miller, Office of the Chief Information

Officer, CI–1, 888 First Street N.E.,

Washington, D.C. 20426.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael Miller may be reached by

telephone at (202) 208–1415, by fax at

(202) 273–0873, and by e-mail at

michael.miller@ferc.fed.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

information collected under the

requirements of FERC-574 ‘‘Gas Pipeline

Certificates: Hinshaw Exemption’’ (OMB

No. 1902–0116) is used by the

Commission to implement the statutory

provisions of Sections 1(c), 4 and 7 of

the Natural Gas Act (NGA) Pub. L. 75–

688) (15 U.S.C. 717–717w). Natural Gas

Pipeline companies file applications

with the Commission furnishing

information in order for a determination

to be made as to whether the applicant

qualifies for an exemption from the

provisions of the Natural Gas Act

(Section 1(c). If the exemption is

granted, the pipeline is not required to

file certificate applications, rate

schedules, or any other applications or

forms otherwise prescribed by the

Commission.

The exemption applies to companies

engaged in the transportation or sale for

resale or natural gas in interstate

commerce if: (a) it receives gas at or

within the boundaries of the state from

another person; (b) such gas is

transported, sold, consumed within

such state; and (c) the rates, service and

facilities of such company are subject to

regulation by a State Commission. The

data required to be filed by pipeline

companies for an exemption is specified

by 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)

Part 152.

Action: The Commission is requesting

a three-year extension of the current

expiration date, with no changes to the

existing collection of data.

Burden Statement: Public reporting

burden for this collection is estimated

as:

Number of respondents annually number of responses per respondent

Average burden hours per response Total annual burden hours

(1) (2) (3) (1)×(2)×(3)

1 1 245 245